The field of the invention is to the continuous manufacturer of fiber reinforced high temperature ceramic composites for use in military, commercial and industrial applications.
The synthesis of polycarbosilane from the pyrolytic condensation reaction of polydimethylsilane obtained from the reaction of dichlorodimethylsilane with an alkali metal, such as sodium. In the latter approach, polydimethylsilane can be prepared by Wxc3xcrtz type coupling of dichlorodimethylsilane with sodium in toluene. The direct pyrolysis of polydimethylsilane, a viscous thermoplastic resin, at high temperature gives SiC in a ceramic yield of about 30%-40%. By thermally cross-linking the polydimethylsilane into an infusible rigid thermoset polymer, which is insoluble in any common solvents, the subsequent pyrolysis yield is on the order of 88%-93%. This thermolysis was accomplished by refluxing the polydimethyl-silane to in excess of 350xc2x0 C.
Numerous embodiments of pre-ceramic polymers with improved yields of the ceramic have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,080, U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,271, U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,215 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,471. The fundamental chemistry contained in these embodiments is specific to the process employed and mainly leaves the pre-ceramic polymer in a thermoplastic state. Embodiments that employ catalytic or photo induced crosslinking do not satisfy the high ceramic yield, purity, and fluidity in combination with low temperature crosslinking ability necessary for producing large densified ceramic structures in a single step continuous process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,080 teaches a novel polysilamethylenosilane polymers which has polysilane-polycarbosilane skeleton which can be prepared in one-step reaction from mixtures of chlorosilaalkanes and organochloro silanes with alkali metals in one of appropriate solvents or in combination of solvents thereof. Such polysilamethyleno silane polymers are soluble and thermoplastic and can be pyrolyzed to obtain improved yields of silicon carbide at atmospheric pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,271 teaches a shaped silicon carbide-based ceramic article which has a mechanical strength which is produced at a high efficiency by a process including the step of forming an organic silicone polymer, for example, polycarbosilastyrene copolymer, into a predetermined shape, for example, a filament or film; doping the shaped polymer with a doping material consisting of at least one type of halogen, for example, bromine or iodine, in an amount of 0.01% to 150% based on the weight of the shaped polymer, to render the shaped polymer infusible; and pyrolyzing the infusible shaped polymer into a shaped SiC-based ceramic article at a temperature of 800xc2x0 C. to 1400xc2x0 C. in an inert gas atmosphere, optionally the halogen-doped shaped polymer being treated with a basic material, for example, ammonia, before the pyrolyzing step, to make the filament uniformly infusible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,605 teaches poly(I-hydro-I-R-1-silapent-3-ene) homopolymers and copolymers which contain silane segments with reactive silicon-hydride bonds and contain hydrocarbon segments with cis and trans carbon-carbon double bonds.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,810 teaches random or block copolymers with (I-hydro-I-I-sila-cis-pent-3-ene), poly(I-hydro-I-R-3,4 benzo-I-sila pent-3-ene) and disubstituted I-silapent-3-ene repeating units of the general formula ##STRI## where R is hydrogen, an alkyl radical containing from one to four carbon atoms or phenyl, R.sup.1 is hydrogen, an alkyl radical containing from one to four carbon atoms, phenyl or a halogen and R.sup.2 is hydrogen, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are combined to form a phenyl ring, are prepared by the anionic ring opening polymerization of silacyclopent-3-enes or 2-silaindans with an organometallic base and cation coordinating ligand catalyst system or a metathesis ring opening catalyst system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,916 Poly(I-hydro-I-R-I-sila-cis-pent-3-ene) and poly(I-hydro-I-R-3,4 benzo-I-sila pent-3-ene) polymers which has repeating units of the general formula polycarbosilane containing at least two tbd.SiH groups per molecule via intimately contacting such fusible polycarbosilane with an effective hardening amount of the vapors of sulfur.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,915 teaches insoluble poly-carbosilanes, readily pyrolyzed into silicon carbide ceramic materials such as SiC fibers, are produced by hardening a fusible polycarbosilane containing at least two tbd.SiH groups per molecule via intimately contacting such fusible polycarbosilane with an effective hardening amount of the vapors of sulfur.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,529 teaches carbon nitride ceramic materials which are produced by hardening a fusible polycarbosilane containing at least two tbd.SiH groups per molecule by intimately contacting such fusible polycarbosilane with an effective hardening amount of the vapors of sulfur, next, heat treating the infusible polycarbosilane which results under an ammonia atmosphere to such extent as to introduce nitrogen into the infusible polycarbosilane without completely removing the carbon therefrom and then heat treating the nitrogenated polycarbosilane in a vacuum or in an inert atmosphere to such extent as to essentially completely convert it into a ceramic silicon carbon nitride.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,215 teaches a rapid method of infusibilizing pre-ceramic polymers which includes treatment of the polymers with gaseous nitrogen dioxide. The infusibilized polymers may be pyrolyzed to temperatures in excess of about 800xc2x0 C. to yield ceramic materials with low oxygen content and, thus, good thermal stability. The methods are especially useful for the production of ceramic fibers and, more specifically, to the on-line production of ceramic fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,571 teaches silicon nitride ceramic materials which are produced by hardening a fusible polycarbosilane containing at least two dbd.SiH groups per molecule by intimately contacting such fusible polycarbo-silane with an effective hardening amount of the vapors of sulfur and then pyrolyzing the infusible polycarbosilane which results under an ammonia atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,027 teaches a method for the preparation of ceramic materials or articles by the pyrolysis of pre-ceramic polymers wherein the pre-ceramic polymers are rendered infusible prior to pyrolysis by exposure to gaseous nitric oxide. Ceramic materials with low oxygen content, excellent physical properties, and good thermal stability can be obtained by the practice of this process. This method is especially suited for the preparation of ceramic fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,025 teaches a method for preparing a ceramic-forming pre-preg tape which includes the steps of dispersing in water a ceramic-forming powder and a fiber, flocculating the dispersion by adding a cationic wet strength resin and an anionic polymer, dewatering the flocculated dispersion to form a sheet, wet pressing and drying the sheet, and coating or impregnating the sheet with an adhesive selected from the group consisting of a polymeric ceramic precursor, and a dispersion of an organic binder and the materials used to form the sheet. The tape can be used to form laminates, which are fired to consolidate the tapes to a ceramic.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,471 teaches a method for preparing fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites which includes the steps of coating refractory fibers, forming the coated fibers into the desired curing the coated fibers to form a pre-preg, heating the pre-preg to form a composite and heating the composite in an oxidizing shape, environment to form an in situ sealant oxide coating on the composite. The refractory fibers have a interfacial coating thereon with a curable pre-ceramic polymer which has a char containing greater than about 50% sealant oxide atoms. The resultant composites have good oxidation resistance at high temperature as well as good strength and toughness.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,351 teaches a new pre-preg material which has good tack drape properties and feasible out-time. The pre-preg material is prepared by impregnating inorganic fibers with a compostion which includes a fine powder of a metal oxide or oxides having an average particle diameter of not larger than one micrometer, a soluble siloxane polymer having double chain structure, a trifunctional silane compound having at least one ethylenically unsaturated double bond in the molecule thereof, a organic peroxide and a radically polymerizable monomer having at least two ethylenically unsaturated double bonds and heating the impregnated fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,238 teaches a reaction of 1,1-dichloro-silacyclobutanes with nitrogen-containing difunctional nucleophiles which gives polysilacyclobuta-silazanes which can be crosslinked and also converted to ceramic materials.
Numerous embodiments of processing mechanics with various direct applications have been described, for example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,483, U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,707, U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,743 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,055. The process mechanics are for a single product process and do not permit continuous curing and pyrolysis in a single step to produce highly dense thick ceramic components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,483 teaches methods for manufacturing a shaft for a golf club. A plug is detachably affixed to a distal end of a mandrel. A plurality of plies of pre-preg composite sheet are wrapped around the mandrel and plug and, thereafter, heated causing the resin comprising the various plies to be cured. The mandrel is then removed from the formed shaft, leaving the plug as an integral part of the distal tip of the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,707 teaches an apparatus which produces a composite tubular article. The apparatus includes a frame, a drive mechanism for rotating a mandrel, at least two spindles mounted to the frame, a tensioner and a belt extending between the first and second spindles. The apparatus may be used to roll pre-preg strips or similar sheets of composite materials around the mandrel. The belt travels over the spindles, and the spindles guide the belt through changes in its direction of travel. The mandrel is mounted in the drive mechanism in contact with the belt, which changes its direction of travel around the mandrel. The lower surface of the belt bears against upper portions of the spindles, and the mandrel contacts the upper surface of the belt. As the drive mechanism rotates the mandrel, pre-preg sheets are fed between the mandrel and the belt and are thereby wrapped around the mandrel. The belt presses the pre-preg sheets against the mandrel. The wrapped mandrel may then be removed from the apparatus and cured in any suitable manner known in the art to produce the a composite tubular article.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,743 teaches a method for joining and repairing pipes includes the step of utilizing photo-curable resins in the form of a fabric patch to for quickly repairing or sealing pipes. A photo-curable flexible pre-preg fabric is wrapped over the entire area of the pipe to be joined or repaired. The pre-preg fabric contains multiple layers of varying widths and lengths. The pre-preg fabric is then exposed to photo-radiation which cures and seals the pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,055 teaches a method for making a reinforced tubular laminate. A dry braided fiber sleeve is placed between a mandrel and spiral tape wrap either over, under, or layered with a pre-preg material. During the initial stages of the curing process, while the temperature is rising, the resin in the pre-preg material flows and wets out the dry braid. When the final cure takes place, the braid becomes an integral part of the finished laminate. The choice of fiber materials and braid angle permit various tubular laminate strengths. The selection of fiber colors and patterns permit a wide variety of tubular laminate aesthetic characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,834 teaches sandwich structures which are made of fiber-reinforced ceramics. The base substance of the ceramic matrix consists of a Si-organic polymer and a ceramic or metallic powder. A cross-linking of the Si-organic polymer takes place under increased pressure and at an increased temperature. After the joining of the facings and the honeycomb core, the sandwich structure is pyrolysed to form a ceramic material
U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,817 teaches organometallic ceramic precursor binders which are used to fabricate shaped bodies by different techniques. Exemplary shape making techniques which utilize hardenable, liquid, organometallic, ceramic precursor binders include the fabrication of negatives of parts to be made (e.g., sand molds and sand cores for metalcasting, etc.), as well as utilizing ceramic precursor binders to make shapes directly (e.g., brake shoes, brake pads, clutch parts, grinding wheels, polymer concrete, refractory patches and liners, etc.). A thermosettable, liquid ceramic precursors provides suitable-strength sand molds and sand cores at very low binder levels and, upon exposure to molten metal casting exhibit low emissions toxicity as a result of their high char yields of ceramic upon exposure to heat. The process involves the fabrication of preforms used in the formation of composite articles. Production costs, and relatively poor physical properties prohibits their inherently large cost of capitalization, high wide use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,179 teaches this ring-opening-polymerization reactions method to obtain a linear polymer of the formula [SiH.sub.2 CH.sub.2].sub.n. This polymer exhibit ceramics yields up to 85% on pyrolysis. The starting material for the ring-opening-polymerization reaction was the cyclic compound [SiH.sub.2 CH.sub.2].sub.2, which is difficult and costly to obtain in pure form by either of the procedures that have been reported.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,641 teaches an exhaust manifold for an engine which are made of all fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite material so as to be light weight and high temperature resistant. A method of making the exhaust manifold includes the steps of forming a liner of a cast monolithic ceramic material containing pores, filling the pores of the cast monolithic ceramic material with a pre-ceramic polymer resin, coating reinforcing fibers with an interface material to prevent a pre-ceramic polymer resin from adhering strongly to the reinforcing fibers, forming a mixture of a pre-ceramic polymer resin and reinforcing fibers coated with the interface material, forming an exhaust manifold shaped structure from the mixture of the pre-ceramic polymer resin and the reinforcing fibers coated with the interface material by placing the mixture on at least a portion of the cast monolithic ceramic material, and firing the exhaust component shaped structure at a temperature and a time sufficient to convert the pre-ceramic polymer resin to a ceramic thereby forming a reinforced ceramic composite.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,295 teaches compositions of matter which have potential utility as precursors to silicon carbide. These compositions are obtained by a Grignard coupling process starting from chlorocarbosilanes, a readily available class of compounds. The new precursors constitute a fundamentally new type of polycarbosilane that is characterized by a branched, [Sixe2x80x94C].sub.n xe2x80x9cbackbonexe2x80x9d which consists of SiR.sub.3 CH.sub.2xe2x80x94,xe2x80x94SiR.sub.2 CH.sub.2xe2x80x94, .dbd.SiRCH.sub.2xe2x80x94, and .tbd.SiCH.sub.2xe2x80x94units (where R is usually H but can also be other organic or inorganic groups, e.g., lower alkyl or alkenyl, as may be needed to promote crosslinking or to modify the physical properties of the polymer or the composition of the final ceramic product). A key feature of these polymers is that substantially all of the linkages between the Sixe2x80x94C units are xe2x80x9chead-to-tailxe2x80x9d, i.e., they are Si to C. The polycarbosilane xe2x80x9cSiH.sub.2 CH.sub.2xe2x80x9d has a carbon to silicon ratio of 1 to 1 and where substantially all of the substituents on the polymer backbone are hydrogen. This polymer consists largely of a combination of the four polymer xe2x80x9cunitsxe2x80x9d: SiH.sub.3 CH.sub.2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94SiH.sub.2 CH.sub.2xe2x80x94, .dbd.SiHCH.sub.2xe2x80x94, and .tbd.SiCH.sub.2xe2x80x94which are connected xe2x80x9chead-to-tailxe2x80x9d in such a manner that a complex, branched structure results. The branched sites introduced by the last two xe2x80x9cunitsxe2x80x9d are offset by a corresponding number of SiH.sub.3 CH.sub.2xe2x80x94 xe2x80x9cend groupsxe2x80x9d while maintaining the alternating Sixe2x80x94C xe2x80x9cbackbonexe2x80x9d. The relative numbers of the polymer xe2x80x9cunitsxe2x80x9d are such that the xe2x80x9caveragexe2x80x9d formula is SiH.sub.2 CH.sub.2. These polymers have the advantage that it is only necessary to lose hydrogen during pyrolysis, thus ceramic yields of over 90% are possible, in principle. The extensive Sixe2x80x94H functionality allows facile crosslinking and the 1 to 1 carbon to silicon ratio and avoids the incorporation of excess carbon in the SiC products that are ultimately formed. The synthetic procedure employed to make them allows facile modification of the polymer, such as by introduction of small amounts of pendant vinyl groups, prior to reduction. The resulting vinyl-substituted xe2x80x9cSiH.sub.2 CH.sub.2xe2x80x9d polymer has been found to have improved crosslinking properties and higher ceramic yield.
A pre-ceramic polymer is prepared by a thermally induced methylene insertion reaction of polydimethylsilane. The resulting polymer is only approximately represented by the formula [SiHMeCH.sub.2].sub.n, as significant amounts of unreacted (SiMe.sub.2).sub.n units, complex rearrangements, and branching are observed. Neither the preparation nor the resulting structure of this precursor are therefore similar to the instant process. In addition to the carbosilane xe2x80x9cunitsxe2x80x9d, large amounts of Sixe2x80x94Si bonding remains in the xe2x80x9cbackbonexe2x80x9d of the polymer. This polymer, in contrast to the instant process, contains twice the stoichiometric amount of carbon for SiC formation. The excess carbon must be eliminated through pyrolytic processes that are by no means quantitative. Despite the shortcomings, this polymer has been employed to prepare xe2x80x9cSiCxe2x80x9d fiber. However, it must be treated with various crosslinking agents prior to pyrolysis which introduce contaminants. This results in a final ceramic product that contains significant amounts of excess carbon and silica which greatly degrade the high temperature performance of the fiber.
SiC precursors predominately linear polycarbosilanes have been prepared via potassium dechlorination of chloro-chloromethyl-imethylsilane. The resulting polymers have not been fully characterized, but probably contain significant numbers of Sixe2x80x94Si and CH.sub.2xe2x80x94CH.sub.2 groups in the polymer backbone. The alkali metal dechlorination process used in the synthesis of such materials does not exhibit the selective head-tail coupling found with Grignard coupling. The pendant methyl groups in such materials also lead to the incorporation of excess carbon into the system. In several polymer systems mixtures containing vinylchlorosilanes (such as CH.sub.2 .dbd.CHxe2x80x94Si(Me)CI.sub.2) and Me.sub.2 SiCl.sub.2 are coupled by dechlorination with potassium in tetrahydro-furan. U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,403 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,591 both teach this method. The xe2x80x9cbackbonexe2x80x9d of the resulting polymers consists of a combination of Sixe2x80x94Si and Sixe2x80x94CH.sub.2 CH(xe2x80x94Si).sub.2 units. Later versions of this polymer Me(H)SiCl.sub.2 in addition to the Me.sub.2 SiCl.sub.2, and are subjected to a sodium-hydrocarbon dechlorination process which does not attack vinyl groups. The resulting polymer consists of a predominately linear, Sixe2x80x94Si xe2x80x9cbackbonexe2x80x9d bearing pendant methyl groups, with some Sixe2x80x94H and Sixe2x80x94CH.dbd.CH.sub.2 functionality to allow crosslinking on pyrolysis.
None of these precursors derived using vinylchlorosilanes are similar to those of the process in that having predominantly Sixe2x80x94Si bonded xe2x80x9cbackbonesxe2x80x9d, they are essentially polysilanes, not polycarbosilanes. In addition, the carbon in these polymers is primarily in the form of pendant methyl functionality and is present in considerable excess of the desirable 1 to 1 ratio with silicon. The ceramic products obtained from these polymers are known to contain considerable amounts of excess carbon.
Polymeric precursors to SiC have been obtained by redistribution reactions of methyl-chloro-disilane (Me.sub.6-x Cl.sub.x Si.sub.2, x=2-4) mixtures, catalyzed by tetraalkyl-phosphonium halides which U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,481, U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,482 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,591 teach. In a typical preparation, elemental analysis of the polymer was employed to suggest the approximate formula [Si(Me).sub.1.15 (H).sub.0.25].sub.n, with n averaging about 20. The reaction is fundamentally different than that involved in the process and the structures of the polymers are also entirely different, involving what is reported to be a complex arrangement of fused polysilane rings with methyl substitution and a polysilane backbone.
The formation of carbosilane polymers with pendent methyl groups as by-products of the xe2x80x9creverse-Grignardxe2x80x9d reaction of chloromethyl-dichloro-methylsilane. The chief purpose of this work was the preparation of carbosilane rings and the polymeric byproduct was not characterized in detail nor was its use as a SiC precursor suggested. Studies of this material indicate that it has an unacceptably low ceramic yield on pyrolysis. These polymers are related to those described in the instant process and are obtained by a similar procedure, however, they contain twice the required amount carbon necessary for stoichiometric silicon carbide and their use as SiC precursors was not suggested. Moreover, the starting material, chloromethyl-dichloro-methylsilane, contains only two sites on the Si atom for chain growth and therefore cannot yield a structure which contains .tbd.SiCH.sub.2xe2x80x94chain units. On this basis, the structure of the polymer obtained, as well as its physical properties and pyrolysis characteristics, must be significantly different from that of the subject process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,179 teaches a polymer which is a product of the ring-opening polymerization of (SiH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.2 also has the nominal composition xe2x80x9cSiH.sub.2 CH.sub.2xe2x80x9d. However, the actual structure of this polymer is fundamentally and functionally different from that of the instant process. Instead of a highly branched structure comprised of SiR.sub.3 CH.sub.2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94SiR.sub.2 CH.sub.2xe2x80x94, .dbd.SiRCH.sub.2xe2x80x94, and .tbd.SiCH.sub.2xe2x80x94units, the Smith polymer is reported to be a linear polycarbosilane which presumably has only [SiH.sub.2 CH.sub.2] as the internal chain segments. Such a fundamental structural difference would be expected to lead to quite different physical and chemical properties. The fundamental difference in these two structures has been verified by the preparation of a linear polymer analogous to polymer and the comparison of its infrared and H-NMR spectra.
Another important difference between the process of Smith and the instant process is the method used to obtain the product polymer and the nature of the starting materials. The [SiH.sub.2 CH.sub.2].sub.2 monomer used by Smith is difficult and expensive to prepare and not generally available, whereas the chlorocarbosilanes used in the instant process are readily available through commercial sources.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,716 teaches chemical vapor deposition of silicon carbide which uses a xe2x80x9csingle molecular speciesxe2x80x9d and provides reactive fragments containing both silicon and carbon atoms in equal number this process. Linear and cyclic structures of up to six units are mentioned. These compounds, which include both silanes and carbosilanes, are specifically chosen to be volatile for chemical vapor deposition use, and are distinctly different from the instant process, where the products are polymers of sufficiently high molecular weight that they cross-link before significant volatilization occurs. Such volatility would be highly undesirable for the applications under consideration for the polymers of the instant process, where excessive loss of the silicon-containing compound by vaporization on heating would be unacceptable.
The present invention is generally directed to a process of forming a photo-curable pre-ceramic polymer for use in for fabricating ceramic matrix composites.
In a first separate aspect of the invention the process includes the steps to silicon carbide ceramic
In a second separate aspect of the invention the process includes the steps of reacting sodium acetylide with organo-chlorosilanes and condensing (polymerizing) the resultant organo-(ethynyl)-chloro silane product of step a with an excess of an alkali metal. The process includes the steps preparing a solution of thermoplastic photo-curable pre-ceramic polymer, passing a fiber, tape or fabric through the solution of thermoplastic photo-curable pre-ceramic polymer, applying the pre-preg to a shaped mandrel, using light energy to induce cross-linking of said photo-curable pre-ceramic polymer after application to said mandrel whereby said thermoplastic pre-ceramic polymer is cured and pyrolyzing said cured thermoplastic pre-ceramic polymer matrix composite material.
In a third separate aspect of the invention a single-step process for fabricating continuous ceramic fiber ceramic matrix composites employs a thermoplastic photo-curable pre-ceramic polymer in which the component is shaped by a variety of standard composite fabrication techniques, such as filament winding, tape winding, and woven cloth winding. The process includes steps of passing ceramic fiber monofilament, tow, mat, or woven cloth through a solution of the thermoplastic photo-curable pre-ceramic polymer, applying ceramic fiber monofilament, tow, mat, or woven cloth to a shaped mandrel, using photo-energy of the ultraviolet, visible or infrared light spectrum to induce cross-linking (curing) of the photo-curable pre-ceramic polymer after application to said mandrel and either partially or completely pyrolyzing the now cured pre-ceramic polymer matrix composite material.
Other aspects and many of the attendant advantages will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description.
The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims.